Nsukka Today

Meet Onugwu Julius Emeka, a National Youth Corps member serving with the National Open University of Nigeria at the Headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.

In November 2012, I received a prize award from the University of the People, 225 S. Lake Ave., Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91101 USA, for an academic competition, and I decided to commit the prize money to the sensitization and training of some persons with special needs on computer literacy, hence this project “HopeAlive”. When I told the University about my decision to commit the prize money on charity, they were thrilled and afterwards offered to give scholarship admission into The University of The People for twenty of my successful participants who are qualified to study Computer Science or Business Administration in either Degree or Diploma programs.

This project “HopeAlive” was approved as my community development project by the State Coordinator, NYSC Lagos State. The project trained fifteen (15) students of NATIONAL ORTHOPEADIC SPECIAL SCHOOL, IGBOBI, LAGOS and some members of staff that are not computer literate who joined in the
training . I also invited members of Modupe Cole Memorial Home, Akoka and Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities Lagos, to be part of this computer literacy program which over seventeen (17) special persons also participated.

Participants were trained on basics of computer and its applications, and the use of the internet. The first phase of the project started on the 7th of March, 2013 at NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIAL SCHOOL, IGBOBI, LAGOS and second commenced on the 14th of March, 2013 at MARYLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL, LAGOS

The participants after the program were able to carry out windows desktop publishing exercises on windows applications and internet related task such as the use Virtual Learning Environment which will gave them a sense of belonging and empowered them mentally. Furthermore, my passion is to equip people with special needs with Information Communications Technology (ICT) skills thereby increasing their productivity level in today’s global village and give them the opportunity to further their education through online mode of studies.

DETAILS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE:
Name of the University: University of the people
Address: 225 S. Lake Ave., Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91101 USA
Web address: www.uopeople.org

ACHIEVEMENTS

HopeAlive has been able to procure and install one desktop computer to National Orthopaedic Hospital Special School, IGBOBI to augment the existing inadequate computers at the school computer laboratory for training. Since we started the training, I have been taking assessments of the students and it is quite encouraging because more than 95 percent of the participants are really doing well during practical session showing they understand and comprehend the lecture. Where I had delayed and slow assimilation was at IGBOBI but I adopted some smart strategies mentioned at “our experience and strategies” that worked for me.

Project Hopealive has been able to train thirty five (35) people with special needs in various ICT skills in basics of computer amongst others and arrangement is going with Lagos State First Lady to provide Laptops
Computer for Seventeen (17) physically challenged that will go for scholarship with University of the People (USA).

Project HopeAlive has been to secure Scholarship for the Twenty (20) Physically challenged persons with University of the People United State of America (USA) in either B.sc in Computer Science or Business
Administration.